Low-key Leon will get better
LEON Best might have been overshadowed on his Newcastle United debut, but Chris Hughton is confident he will be making his own headlines between now and the end of the season.
The 23-year-old, hoping to keep his place for tonight's game against Derby County at Pride Park, made his bow in Friday night's 5-1 demolition of Cardiff City, when Andy Carroll and Peter Lovenkrands scored four goals between them.
Best had a low-key debut alongside Carroll, and boss Hughton is confident Newcastle fans will see a lot more from the former Coventry City striker as he settles into life at the club.
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"Leon's a young lad, and I brought him in here to score goals, as with all the strikers, but also to be part of a striking group that's going to apply pressure on each other," Hughton told the Gazette.
"Although he didn't get on the scoresheet, I certainly wouldn't want to take anything away from his contribution in the game."
Fit-again Shola Ameobi, meanwhile, was an unused substitute against Cardiff, with the striker, a fixture in Hughton's team early in the season until injury sidelined him for more than three months, now not guaranteed a start.
Hughton added: "Shola, of course, had come back from an injury, and then missed a couple of games.
"What I expect from all of the strikers is for them to play a big part between now and the end of the season. It does give me options.
"He's a Newcastle lad, and he will have been as pleased as anybody that we got the result, and the goals went in, even though he wasn't involved. Ultimately, he wants to be part of a team that's winning games."
And talking about his striking department, which also includes teenager Nile Ranger, Hughton went on: "It's an area where we do have options, and what they'll continue to do is apply pressure to play games.
"If they're not playing, they've got to be motivated to come off the bench and score goals and set themselves challenges."
For the first match report from Pride Park tonight, log on to www.shieldsgazette.com after the game
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Weather for South Shields
Friday 10 February 2012
Today
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Temperature: -3 C to 2 C
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